Four-time Olympic gold medallist Cate Campbell is providing Australia’s netballers with an added edge ahead of their three-match series against the England Roses starting on Thursday night in Adelaide.
The champion swimmer – who represented Australia at the Beijing, London, Rio and Tokyo Olympic Games – has been drafted in by the Diamonds to play a mentoring role for the group who are embarking on the beginning of a new journey as they build towards the 2027 Netball World Cup in Sydney.
Campbell knows Diamonds captain Liz Watson well and despite not stepping on a netball court since primary school because she “showed a lot of enthusiasm but zero aptitude”, the retiree is making a strong impact on Stacey Marinkovich’s side.
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Speaking at Wednesday’s captains run at Netball SA Stadium ahead of the series opener, Campbell shared that she has been helping the Diamonds with their ability to handle “high pressure” moments.
“I’ve been on Commonwealth Games teams with netballers, so I have quite a strong connection with the players themselves. I watch the netball whenever I get a chance to,” Campbell said.
“I’ve been in awe watching them train. Their athleticism, skills and teamwork are remarkable. I’m a kid in a candy store at the moment.
“I’ve hung out with them, chatted through how they’re feeling ahead of the first game against England and they’re all looking super relaxed. These girls are absolutely professional athletes, and I feel like I could learn a lot from them.
“Obviously coming from an individual sport, watching teams and how they interact and play together is immensely fascinating for me. I feel like I’m almost learning more than they are from me.
“We’ve been chatting about when you’re competing overseas and what it’s like and being in a high-pressure environment. These girls are in high pressure environments whenever they play internationally.
“The standard is so high that it’s more about having a mutual appreciation for one another, and what we do. It’s been really great.”
The current connection with the Diamonds may provide insight into what the future holds for Campbell.
The 32-year-old attempted to qualify for a fifth Olympic Games earlier this year but came up short at the Australian trials and “hung up the togs” afterwards.
Since stepping away from the pool, she worked for Channel Nine during the Paris Olympic Games and commentated on the Paralympic Games which has not left a lot of time for future planning.
“I have gone from being a professional athlete to a professional sports fan,” Campbell said. “I have just been inhaling as much sport as possible since I hung up the togs.
“I’ve almost been busier in retirement than I was as an elite athlete.”
Campbell has publicly spoken about her battles with body image issues and a melanoma diagnosis during her career, while behind the scenes she has served as a mentor and role medal for many Australian swimmers.
Branching out into the mentoring and the leadership development space appears likely to be where Australia’s flag bearer from the Tokyo Olympic Games’ future lies along with further media commitments.
But for now, Campbell is remaining coy about her upcoming prospects.
“I’ve got a couple of projects lined-up in the coming months and I’ve also got some great holidays planned,” she said.
“I will be announcing what I will be doing in the new year.”
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